GBR Friday | UK Golf in H1 2025: Demand Up, Pricing Power Back, New Projects Announced
Every Tuesday and Friday, we connect the dots across golf’s business, media, and professional landscape.
Good morning, GBR,
It’s time to take a look at the most relevant stories that have appeared in the golf industry and professional game since Tuesday’s edition of GBR.
In Tuesday’s newsletter, we covered the positive numbers indicating a strong, continual growth in the game of golf.
For today’s newsletter, we decided to take a look to see if these positive numbers are being witnessed in other corners of the globe.
Today’s focus is on what data we can find for the U.K., including Northern Ireland.
Demand is up, prices are up, and shovels are in the ground. H1 delivered 5.75 million scores, record rounds and an average £237 green fees across the top 100 courses, evidence that 2025 is the year the boom got measurable.
Elsewhere in today’s GBR, we look cover July’s participation figures released by the National Golf Federation and Five Iron Golf’s latest venue among other stories.
Join us as we cover more key stories in the following areas:
Industry
Circuits/Professional Game
Equipment
UK golf at half-time 2025: Demand Is Booming, Prices Are Rising, And Investment Is Back
As always, feel free to leave comments on any of today’s stories.
Enjoy your weekend, we’ll catch up again next Tuesday.
INDUSTRY
FIVE IRON GOLF EXPANDS CHICAGO FOOTPRINT WITH BUCKTOWN ACQUISITION
Five Iron Golf has officially opened its fourth Chicago venue with the acquisition and relaunch of Golf the Green in Bucktown, adding to a string of recent expansions in Kirkland (WA), Minneapolis (MN), and Shaker Heights (OH).
“By layering in our speed, operational expertise, aesthetic, and technology platform, we’ve been able to quickly and effectively maximize these venues,” said Five Iron CEO Jared Solomon.
The new Bucktown facility features nine Golfzon simulators powered by Unreal Engine 5, a moving swing plate for realistic lies, and famed virtual courses like Bethpage Black and Pebble Beach.
The venue also includes a full sports-bar experience, junior golf clinics, happy hour specials, limited free parking, and fall league play kicking off October 6.
“Bucktown allows us to continue expanding the Five Iron community across the city while honoring the strong foundation this venue had already built,” added Co-Founder Nora Dunnan. More details of the new Bucktown Five Iron venue can be found here.
JULY GOLF ROUNDS RISE NATIONALLY AS 2025 PACE NEARS RECORD LEVELS
Rounds of golf across the United States rose 2.6% year-over-year in July 2025, the busiest month for play annually, putting the year slightly ahead of 2024’s record-setting pace.
Notably, private courses led the charge with a 6% surge in rounds played, while public facilities, which host about 80% of all rounds, saw a more modest 2% increase.
The Pacific and Mountain regions posted standout growth, with states like Nevada (+26%), Arizona (+15%), California (+8%), and Oregon (+7%) exceeding normal weather-related variances. July alone accounts for roughly 12% of all annual U.S. rounds, just edging out June.
With several high-volume months still ahead, the year-to-date total for 2025 is tracking 0.1% higher than last year, keeping the U.S. on pace to potentially surpass its all-time rounds record. The full breakdown of July’s figures comes from the National Golf Federation, further details can be found here.
ASGCA FOUNDATION TO HOST 2026 DESIGN BOOT CAMP AT PINEHURST
The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) Foundation will host its second Design Boot Camp from March 9–13, 2026, at the Pinehurst Resort, offering 16 aspiring architects a hands-on opportunity to learn golf course design from nine past ASGCA presidents.
Held on the Sandmines property adjacent to Pinehurst No. 10, participants will route holes, study terrain, and play Pinehurst No. 2 and The Cradle alongside the instructors—receiving real-time insights on design philosophies and strategies.
A highlight of the five-day $20,000 program includes a site tour of Pinehurst No. 11 with Bill Coore (Coore & Crenshaw), ahead of its Fall 2027 debut. More details of March’s Boot Camp can be found at the ASGA website here.
GOLFSHAKE LAUNCHES NEW APP TO HELP GOLFERS ‘PLAY MORE, PLAY BETTER’
Golfshake has unveiled a fully redesigned mobile app aimed at delivering a smarter, more connected golfing experience for golfers using their mobile phones for scoring and tracking purposes.
Building on the success of its original 2015 release and the Golfshake.com platform, the new app introduces a range of upgraded features, including hole-by-hole score and stat tracking, a free personal handicap tracker, interactive course search tools, and a personalised golf bucket list.
Golfers can now explore travel guides, access curated destination content, and stay connected with friends via shared rounds and an activity feed.
Available on both iOS and Android, the app also integrates Golfshake’s extensive content library of reviews, articles, and instructional videos.
“Whether you’re planning a trip, tracking performance, or just logging where you’ve played, the Golfshake App is your complete companion,” said a spokesperson. The launch reflects a decade of user feedback and is designed to help golfers of all levels “Play More, Play Better.” More details of the new Golfshake app can be found here.
GOLFZON SOCIAL TO OPEN FIRST ILLINOIS VENUE IN OAK BROOK ON SEPTEMBER 1
GOLFZON Social will open its first Illinois location on September 1 at Oak Brook Promenade, introducing a high-tech, two-floor, 18,000 sq. ft. venue.
The new site features 16 TwoVision NX simulator bays equipped with advanced swing-tracking and access to over 240 virtual courses and games for players of all levels.
Golfers can enjoy league and tournament play, year-round coaching from in-house instructors, and arcade-style games in a laid-back setting.
Away from the screens, food options will include golf-friendly plates alongside additional menu options, all served within simulator-integrated dining areas. A full bar and over 25 TVs are located throughout the venue broadcasting major sports events. More details of the new GOLFZON Social Illinois can be found here.
CIRCUITS/PROFESSIONAL GAME
NATIONAL OPEN WINNERS TO RECEIVE MASTERS AND OPEN EXEMPTIONS IN MAJOR QUALIFICATION SHAKE-UP
Augusta National and The R&A have announced that winners of six national opens, including four on the DP World Tour, will now receive automatic invitations to both the Masters Tournament and The Open.
Champions of the Genesis Scottish Open, Open de España presented by Madrid, ISPS HANDA Australian Open, and Investec South African Open Championship will benefit from the new qualification pathway, alongside winners of the Japan Open and Hong Kong Open, who will also receive one-year exemptions.
“The Masters Tournament has long recognised the significance of having international representation among its invitees,” said Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National.
The initiative complements The Open Qualifying Series, which offers entry into the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale (July 12–19, 2026) via 15 events across 13 countries.
“This creates an outstanding opportunity for players in all parts of the world,” added Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, as the 90th Masters looms on the horizon for April 6–12, 2026. More details of the announcement by the R&A and Augusta National can be found here.
LIV GOLF TO LAUNCH $40M EVENT AT NEWLY-RENOVATED NEW ORLEANS CITY PARK IN 2026
LIV Golf has announced it will stage the inaugural LIV Golf Louisiana tournament at New Orleans City Park’s South Course from June 26–28, 2026, in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development.
The Bayou Oaks venue will undergo a major redesign led by former LIV CEO Greg Norman, with enhancements including lengthened holes, refined bunkering, and expanded spectator zones.
Backed by a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, the event is projected to generate over $40 million in economic impact, create 1,150+ jobs, and elevate Louisiana’s global sporting profile.
“This isn’t just a win for golf fans, it’s a win for all Louisianans,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “Bringing LIV Golf to New Orleans puts our state on the global map in a bold way.” More details of the newly announced LIV Golf Louisiana event can be found in LIV Golf’s press release here.
FORTINET TO TITLE SPONSOR LPGA FOUNDERS CUP IN MULTIYEAR DEAL
The LPGA Tour has announced Fortinet as the new title sponsor of the Founders Cup in a multiyear agreement ahead of its 2026 staging at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park, California.
Scheduled for March 19–22 with a $3 million purse, up from $2 million in 2025, the tournament celebrates the 13 women who founded the LPGA 75 years ago.
Fortinet Founder and CEO Ken Xie noted, “Together with the LPGA, we aim to advance the game of golf and champion opportunities for women on and off the course.”
The event will mark the LPGA’s return to Northern California at a recently renovated Sharon Heights, which has gained critical aclaim for the work carried out. Past champions likely to be in the 2026 event include Rose Zhang, Jin Young Ko, and Minjee Lee. Additional details of the new partnership between Fortinet and the LPGA can be found here.
TRUMP CONFIRMS ATTENDANCE FOR RYDER CUP OPENING DAY
U.S. President Donald Trump announced via social media that he will attend the opening round of the Ryder Cup on Friday, September 26, at Bethpage Black in New York.
Trump stated he was invited by the “PGA Tour,” though the Ryder Cup is run by the PGA of America, not the Tour—an error later clarified by a PGA of America spokesperson, who confirmed the invitation came jointly from the organization and Bradley.
Trump’s presence aligns with expectations given his long-standing involvement in the game and recent efforts to mediate the rift between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf, including meetings earlier this year with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Tiger Woods.
The PGA Tour recently announced that it will stage an official event at Trump National Doral in 2026, marking its first stop there in nearly ten years. Associated Press/CNN Sports
EQUIPMENT
L.A.B. GOLF LAUNCHES OZ.1i HS PUTTER
L.A.B. Golf has unveiled the OZ.1i HS putter debuting a heel-shafted version of its popular OZ.1i model that retains the brand’s proprietary Lie Angle Balance (LAB) technology.
Responding to feedback from golfers who prefer not to use center-shafted designs, the OZ.1i HS features a newly engineered aluminum riser (hosel) designed to preserve balance integrity, an intricate process given that even minor adjustments in shaft orientation can disrupt performance.
Available in 10 configurations ranging from 64° to 74° lie angles, so any golfer can be set up with the putter exactly the way they need it.
The OZ.1i HS features a thinner topline and sleeker alignment aid the putter offers a high degree of customization, including options for head color, alignment markings, shaft lean, and grip.
“The OZ.1i was the shape that first drew golfers to try our Lie Angle Balance tech,” the company said, noting that this updated design brings expanded versatility to a mid-mallet format. Retailing at $499 (£370, €430), with custom models starting at $599 (£445, €515). More details and customization options are available via L.A.B. Golf.
UK golf at half-time 2025: Demand Is Booming, Prices Are Rising, And Investment Is Back
Golf in the UK can fall into two distinct camps.
First is the member-driven club that, along with the annual member fees and visitor green fees, drives a large percentage of the club’s overall revenue.
The second are courses which attract a large number of golf tourists. Golfers from all corners of the globe can descend on the UK and Northern Ireland between June and September to play some of the most famous courses in the world.
As an added bonus, these golfers might even get some good weather to fully enjoy the delights of what the golf courses have to offer.
The most famous golf courses will still have some form of membership, but the main pull comes from visitor fees riding the tourism wave.
If you run a golf club in Britain, the first six months of 2025 read like a long-awaited purple patch.
Participation kept surging, price points at destination venues ratcheted up again, and the pipeline of new projects—long stymied by planning, weather and caution—finally threw off some meaningful headlines.
Start with usage. Sporting Insights reports that rounds played in Great Britain hit record levels by the halfway mark, with Q2 up 25% year-on-year and the half-year up 23%. March was the highest since 2012, thanks to kinder weather and momentum that carried into late spring. On these figures, 2025 is tracking ahead of the post-pandemic “boom years.” sportinginsights.com
That demand shows up in handicapping behaviour too. England Golf logged an all-time record 1.59 million scores submitted in May, an 18% jump on May 2024, and a 45% rise across January–May versus the same period last year. The organisation also saw fresh highs in iGolf subscriptions and iPlay sign-ups—small signals that the game’s on-ramp is widening as quickly as tee sheets are filling. golfbusinessnews.com
Money follows motion. We don’t yet have a definitive, sector-wide profit and loss for H1, but there’s a useful baseline from last season: The Revenue Club’s 200-plus-club dataset shows UK & Ireland venues averaged £170,462 in casual green-fee income in 2024 (+11% year-on-year), with the best trading month ever recorded last August. Even before this year’s better spring weather, visitor revenue mix had already shifted decisively online, accelerating pricing power and utilisation. Layer 2025’s record rounds on top, and it’s clear many clubs entered summer with real tailwinds. golfbusinessnews.com The Revenue Club
Price tells its own story at the aspirational end of the market. UK Golf Guy’s annual sweep puts the average green fee at Top-100 courses at £237 this summer (+10.7% y/y), and the Top-25 cohort at £352. That’s a five-year climb from £161 (2021) to £237 (2025), with no obvious sign of a ceiling where demand is global and inventory finite. For member-focused and proprietary clubs, Hillier Hopkins’ 2024/25 survey similarly shows broad increases across categories. Taken together, H1 felt like a market successfully selling its scarcity again. UK Golf Guy Hillier Hopkins
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